Category Science & Technology

Two UW–Madison researchers awarded prestigious Sloan Fellowships

February 22, 2012

Two members of the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty are among 126 scientists from around the country who have been awarded prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowships.

Early spring: Good for us, mixed bag for insects, plants

February 21, 2012

Madison’s warm weather may have made the outdoors more comfortable for people, but does it spell trouble for overwintering plants and bugs?

Journal boycott gaining steam at UW–Madison

February 21, 2012

They are mad as hell, and not going to take it anymore. That describes an emerging response from more than 6,000 scientists to Elsevier, publisher of more than 2,500 scientific journals, including Cell and The Lancet.

Recent sightings: Wonders of Physics

February 20, 2012

Physics student Blaine Law (right) uses the pressure of liquid nitrogen changing from a liquid to a gas to power a canon during a…

Does history repeat? Using the past to improve ecological forecasting

February 20, 2012

To better predict the future, Jack Williams is looking to the past.

Proposed hunt poorly designed, says UW wolf expert

February 20, 2012

Legislation outlining a proposed state wolf hunt is likely to hurt wolf populations while failing to resolve existing conflicts with humans, says a UW–Madison wolf…

Mother of pearl tells a tale of ocean temperature, depth

February 16, 2012

Nacre -- or mother of pearl, scientists and artisans know, is one of nature's amazing utilitarian materials.

Howard Zimmerman, pioneer in organic chemistry, dies at 85

February 16, 2012

Howard Zimmerman, a professor of chemistry from 1960 until his retirement in 2010, died on Saturday, Feb. 11 as a result of a fall.

Arboretum director to return to teaching

February 16, 2012

Kevin McSweeney, a University of Wisconsin–Madison soil scientist who has directed the university's internationally famous Arboretum since 2004, announced this week that he is relinquishing that administrative post and returning to the faculty.

UW–Madison names finalists for Nelson Institute director

February 14, 2012

UW-Madison has named three finalists for the director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

Forest and Hawks named 2012 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Fellows

February 10, 2012

Katrina Forest, professor of bacteriology, and John Hawks, associate chair of Anthropology, have been selected by the Institute for Biology Education as Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Faculty Fellows for 2012.

Two engineers named to national academy

February 9, 2012

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) today (Feb. 9) announced it has named two UW–Madison engineers to its 2012 class of new members.

Physics Department open house welcomes community

February 8, 2012

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Physics will throw open its doors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, for its fifth annual Physics Fair.

Hunting could hurt genetic diversity of sandhill cranes, UW research suggests

February 8, 2012

As Wisconsin lawmakers debate whether to establish a hunting season for sandhill cranes, they may want to consider more than just the sheer number of birds, suggests a University of Wisconsin–Madison specialist in avian genetics.

Study shows calories drive earlier puberty

February 8, 2012

Environmental pollutants, eating habits, lack of exercise and genetic traits have all been raised as possible causes of earlier puberty onset in girls in recent years. Now we may now know why: It's the calories, as reported by Ei Terasawa, Joe Kurian, Ricki Colman and colleagues at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center.

Sturgeon “thunder” has roots in biological process

February 7, 2012

Research into the mysterious sounds that lake sturgeon produce resumes in April, or whenever the water warms to a temperature conducive for fish spawning, which is the best time to experience sturgeon “thunder.”

Evolution’s oddities are focus of Darwin Day

February 7, 2012

The annual celebration of Charles Darwin’s birthday at the University of Wisconsin–Madison will highlight the evolutionary significance of strange life forms, including the octopus and enormous flowers.

Smallest tools could give biggest results in bone repair

February 6, 2012

When William Murphy works with some of the most powerful tools in biology, he thinks about making tools that can fit together. These constructions sound a bit like socket wrenches, which can be assembled to turn a half-inch nut in tight quarters, or to loosen a rusted-tight one-inch bolt using a very persuasive lever.

Neurons from stem cells could replace mice in botulinum test

February 3, 2012

Using lab-grown human neurons, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison have devised an effective assay for detecting botulinum neurotoxin, the agent widely used to cosmetically smooth the wrinkles of age and, increasingly, for an array of medical disorders ranging from muscle spasticity to loss of bladder control.

How does the compassionate brain, measured in the lab, predict what occurs in real life?

February 1, 2012

University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers are launching a new series of studies to understand how laboratory measures of virtuous qualities such as compassion relate to their behavior in the real world.